> One potential argument is that the VKS fighter fleets are being held in reserve, potentially as a deterrent against direct intervention by NATO forces. This i

> One potential argument is that the VKS fighter fleets are being held in reserve, potentially as a deterrent against direct intervention by NATO forces. This is unlikely to be the case. If the VKS is capable of large-scale combat operations to rapidly establish air superiority over Ukraine, by not doing so, it is, in fact, weakening its potential deterrent value against NATO forces rather than preserving it. Makes sense if you assume they're being held as a deterrent I guess. I assumed that they were being held in case they were needed for actual combat. I see nothing here that refutes this. I don't think the west really appreciates how realistic (if undesirable) this scenario is in Putin's eyes, to our great peril.